I don't have college debt, but I have a lot of cats...

The art of selling out

When I was in college in the 1980s, one of my favorite pastimes was looking down my nose at popular artists. “I’m never gonna be a sellout! I won’t be like those trashy New Wave artists like Duran Duran and The Knack. That’s just corporate music. I love punk bands like the Dead Kennedys because they have integrity, man. They aren’t sellouts!”

But here we are in 2021 where I have ads all over my site, and the Dead Kennedys will have a show sponsored by Live Nation (which has been postponed).

Maybe it’s because I’m decades removed from my ticked-off college student self that I no longer see selling out as a bad thing. Creating quality content and running websites cost money. And to get it, you have to find people willing to pay you to create.

Sometimes, the combination of sponsorship and creativity works out well. Epic Rap Battles of History recently did an episode sponsored by Rise of Kingdoms that is amazing.

And how many hours of fun and information sports commentary have been brought to us by Manscaped, NordVPN, or in this case, Raycon earbuds?

And there are the creators with Patreon pages. Check out the perks you get at the 10 Minute Amiga Retro Cast’s Patreon page!

Click this image to go to the 10MARC Patreon Page

(I suppose I should get a Patreon page when I have time to create perks I can offer.)

From the Medicis funding Renaissance artists to YouTube videos sponsored by Raid Shadow Legends, creative people look for financial support. Support the authors, artists, musicians, video producers, and other creators you love. Buy their works, click their ads, patronize their sponsors, and throw money in tip jars physical and virtual. And creators, remember there is nothing wrong with selling as long as you have something people want to buy.